The 9 Most Popular Credit Card Scams Around the World

Ever since the good people at Diner’s Club had the idea to let people buy their stuff on credit, enterprising criminals have been looking for a way to take your hard-earned money. As the world becomes more and more technologically advanced, the ways in which these thieves attempt to sneak some of your cash have become increasingly innovative. If you’re the kind of person who likes to rely on your credit card when you absolutely need it — and let’s be honest, who isn’t? — then you’ll need to read through these common credit card scams currently being perpetrated around the world.

1. The Ever Popular Skimmer

One of the more common means with which criminals acquire your credit card information is with the use of devices called “skimmers.” These little contraptions affix to ATMs in secretive ways you’d never notice unless you were specifically looking for them. When you swipe your credit card or debit card just like you normally would, the skimmer reads your information and sends it on to whomever set up the device in the first place. Some scammers will even set up cameras alongside their skimmer in order to capture victim’s button presses, as well. More often than not, credit card skimmers can be found in gas stations.